Letters: Sellwood Bridge vote, Portland bike projects, jobs bills

Sellwood Bridge voteThe defeat of the Clackamas County vehicle fee makes it clear that the solution to the Sellwood Bridge funding problem is a bridge toll. Today's electronic toll-collection methods are fast and unobtrusive, and the fee can be tailored to the vehicle's registration. This would enable Multnomah County to charge its residents a lower fee, since they are already paying for it through their property taxes.

Philosophically, a toll, like the weight-mile tax, is inherently fairer, because it charges for use of the resource. It would also blunt inane arguments like "having to pay for your neighbor's roof."

TONY DAL MOLIN Southeast Portland

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Clackamas County voters' rejection of the vehicle fee leaves a multimillion-dollar shortfall in bridge funding -- but that assumes no change in bridge design. A large part of the new bridge's east-end width is dedicated to bike and pedestrian paths -- paths wider than on our other bridges or land-based trails.

Bikers and pedestrians deserve a safer, wider crossing, but bridge width can be reduced and still provide that at reduced cost. Construction costs would be less, land acquisition would cost less, fewer adjacent homeowners would be displaced and maintenance costs would be lower. We might also get a safe bridge more quickly.

Multnomah County should redesign the bridge to a narrower, more affordable configuration that meets the needs of all constituents.

JOHN LATTIG Southeast Portland

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The freeloaders of Clackamas County have spoken, so the only fair thing for the rest of us who use the Sellwood Bridge and pay for it through our taxes to do is to put a toll on the new bridge during the morning and evening commutes. That way, the Clackamas County folks, who are a good share of the users, can help pay for it.

RICH MULLER Southwest Portland

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I don't live far from the Sellwood Bridge, and every time I cross it I say a prayer and hold my breath.

I have often shopped at businesses in Milwaukie, Oak Grove, Oregon City, Canby, etc. No longer: If the people of Clackamas County, who make thousands of trips each day over the Sellwood Bridge, will not pay $5 per year to fund a fraction of their fair share of building a safe replacement for that bridge, I will not spend one more dime in their county as long as I live.

I intend to shop Multnomah, and I encourage other residents to do the same.

STEVE ENGEL Southeast Portland

Oil subsidiesThe Republican Party's new battle cry: "Billions for Big Oil, but not one penny for the poor!"

Have they no shame?

DAVID HEDGES West Linn

Bike projectsGerhard Magnus writes in his Wednesday letter, "Congratulations to Mayor Sam Adams for his foresight and courage in allocating 17 percent of Portland's uncommitted transportation funding to bike projects." What uncommitted funds is he talking about?

I suggest that Magnus and our bike mayor climb on a bike built for two and take a tour of Northeast Portland roads. Careful now -- don't fall into the potholes.

In a sane world, there would be no "uncommitted transportation funding"; all of that money would be allocated to fixing roads.

BOB CAMERON Northeast Portland

Develop kids instead The city of Portland has asked the Portland Development Commission to get involved in upgrading Memorial Coliseum because of "deferred maintenance." But in order to do that, the PDC will have to disregard a clear city ordinance and not spend 30 percent of the money on affordable housing in that district. Mayor Sam Adams says that's just fine.

OK, Mayor, here's another idea: Since there is delayed maintenance in Portland's school buildings, how about disregarding some more ordinances and asking the PDC to help with that? I mean, the city appears unconcerned about following the rule of law when it comes to how it spends tax money -- just toss it from one pot into another. It should be easy enough to justify draining a PDC pot to "develop" our kids. Call them "emerging economic assets" and it all works out.

KATHRYN VAN DER HORST Southeast Portland

NLRB protects rightsColumnist Rich Lowry's attack on the NLRB is misguided. ("National labor board penalizes good business sense," May 16). Lowry has criticized the NLRB for bringing a charge against Boeing based on the "flimsiest legal justification" of "interfering with, restraining, and coercing" union workers in the Pacific Northwest.

Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act grants workers the right to engage in "concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection." Workers who engage in a strike are practicing the exact rights granted by the act. Any attempt by Boeing to relocate work to South Carolina in reaction to past strikes or as a means of avoiding future strikes interferes with Oregon and Washington workers' Section 7 rights.

The act declares it is the policy of the United States to encourage collective bargaining. By holding Boeing accountable, the NLRB is merely upholding the law and policy of our nation on behalf of Boeing's Northwest workers. For that, the NLRB should be praised.

LANE TOENSMEIERNortheast Portland

Jobs bills Thank you for shining a light on the lack of jobs bills in your front-page story May 17. As a freshman representative, it has been frustrating to watch the parade of good bills marching to their deaths in subsequent referral.

There is a silver lining. As some good bills languish, a much higher number of bad bills are simply DOA. These include business-killing regulation, unfunded mandates for the public sector, and the expansion of government authority and size.

Although I would prefer to put our forests to work and speed up permitting for industrial land, I feel at least partially satisfied to have stopped dozens of bills that would have hurt local businesses. It may not make headlines, but it's one of the more successful things we've done this legislative session.